Texas Fall/Winter thread!

[txdon]

I don't know why they said they have it 50% controlled - it is getting bigger, it's now at 2000 acres. The fire fighters are worn out and they do not want to call us to help, they want experienced firefighters from Houston and Dallas. . . so we will sit here and wait till it crosses the county line.

Brandi, is your daughter getting the smoke?

Bernice might still be ok as long as the wind pushed it more West than North.

edit - Now the wind is from the east pushing the fire West. I just looked at the wind for the next 12 hours - it will be heading this way, the wind will shift and come from the South and Southwest It's about 30 miles from here and 10 miles from Bernice.

 

[sseelhoff]

I drove from La Grange to Austin today and from Bastrop to Austin is very smokey, now the wind has shifted and the smoke is headed to Georgetown.

I could see the smoke plume driving south from Austin toward Lockhart. 1500 acres last I heard. That was up from 375 acres this a.m.

 

[txdon]

Now they are reporting it's only 10% controlled - that means it is getting away from them, and the winds will be picking up tomorrow.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Now they are reporting it's only 10% controlled - that means it is getting away from them, and the winds will be picking up tomorrow.

That fire may be less than 4 miles from Bernice now.

Link to Giddings 10 day forecast including wind velocity and direction.
Giddings, TX (77853) Forecast | Weather Underground

 

[txdon]

Here's a pic of 1/4 of the trail of smoke that will shift over me tomorrow.

This trail of smoke starting at Smithville extends between Elgin and Manor

 

[txdon]

That fire may be less than 4 miles from Bernice now.

Link to Giddings 10 day forecast including wind velocity and direction.
Giddings, TX (77853) Forecast | Weather Underground

I don't like the graphs and arrows on the wind. I like this site from Hourly to 10 day: http://www.weather.com/weather/hourbyhour/l/Lexington+TX+78942

 

[txdon]

Just as predicted the smoke has engulfed us. I have taped up the fresh air vent to the house. (This is a foam house and outside air is pumped in every 20 minutes.) I'm still waiting for the sun to come up to see how dense it is. The flashlight just goes to the end of the yard before it whites out. Kyle is there smoke in Gidddings?

30 streets have been evacuated but Bernice's street in not one of them yet.

Agget Road
Alum Creek from SH71 to Park Road 1C
Ann Powell Road
Broken Tree Lane
Cottletown Road
Felix Drive
Gotier Trace from Cottletown to Alum Creek
Harmon Road
Hudson Drive
Kellar Road
Kingdom Path
KLBJ Road
Long Road
O’Grady Road
Old Antioch Road from Park Road 1C to Turkey Trot
Park Hill Farms
Park Road 1C from Old Antioch to LKBJ Road
Pine Bark Drive
Pine Needle lane
Powell Road
Raven Road
Rolling Pines Dr.
Spring Hollow Trail
Tall Pines Road
Tree Top Lane
Turkey Trot
Village Forest Drive
Wild Bird Loop

 

[txdon]

Containment: 15%
Acres burned: 4,200
Homes destroyed: 9

Update 3:30 a.m.: 4,200 acres now burned, according to Texas A&M Forest Service. Three homes saved, 154 homes threatened.

The Smoke is interfering with our line of sight internet service and is getting slower and slower.

 

[Spindifferent]

Light smoke haze yesterday north of Austin through Leander, Georgetown, and Liberty Hill.

 

[txdon]

It has gotten considerable worse the last 15 minutes visibility went from 200 yards to 75 feet

 

[Bird]

Of course it's no problem way up north, but some folks are smelling the smoke in Denton and it's making the sky a bit hazy. So for it to be this way, this far north, I can only imagine what it's like down south.

 

[bindian]

I have been smelling smoke here. Haven't seen anyone burning. Lots of times, the Hispanics around me burn odd stuff at night.
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Don,
I just talked to Rebecca and she says she hasn't noticed any smoke in Manor. But where she works in Austin (this side of I-35 and just south of 290), they are seeing and smelling smoke.
hugs, Brandi

 

[txdon]

Brandi, I went to Giddings this morning and it was clear, you could smell smoke but not see it, I came back here and I'm back in the smoke. I can at least see my electric pole at noon. This morning we were smoking beef.

Not a good day to breath.

 

[txdon]

Chief Nim Kidd with the State Emergency Operations Center quote - "If you put too many aircraft or firefighters on the ground, it can create an unsafe situation," when asked about whether or not Bastrop County used resources around them in a timely manner.


I just spoke with our Chief none of our county's 7 VFDs have been called - but firefighters from out of state are being called. ??

Our county boarders Bastrop county.

The wind has picked up and the smoke is clearing.

 

[foreman Etexas]

If they would have called all 7 when was 200acres I believe it would have been a different outcome. Just my 2cents. Over do it at the beginning and maybe send trucks back still full,has never hurt a thing where I'm from...

 

[txdon]

What is really sad is Tuesday evening I went by the Bastrop Fire Station and every truck was in the station and the doors closed and there was still a lot of smoke coming from the fire area down the road by Smithville. If anyone from Smithville or Bastrop can shed some light on what happened please chime in.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Chiming in late as usual, but the smoke was not that bad here in Giddings. They wouldn't let the kids at school go outside to play at recess. I saw on FB a local VFD young man post that he "would give just about anything to be able to go help". So it is confusing. Maybe they think the local VFD's don't have the knowledge or equipment to fight this big of fire.

 

[robbyr]

https://www.facebook.com/aaron.k.johnson1/videos/10153422396908813/

I'm sure the above link probably won't work. It's a short video of DC 10 tanker doing a drop on the Huntsville fire earlier this week. It was posted by a high school classmate, Ken Laake for any of you facebookers who are interested.

 

[two_bit_score]

Well, I finally did it. I got a Cat to put in the barn.View attachment 443452View attachment 443453

Here the Cat is playing with Tucker and I.View attachment 443454

The Cat even gets a higher place than the Big RED Beast.View attachment 443455

hugs, Brandi

Congratulations Brandi,that's nice! :thumbsup: